White-flowered hawkweed is a herbaceous perennial with milky sap, 30-120 cm tall. It is usually unbranched below the inflorescence. Teh leaves are mostly basal, oblong to broadly lance-shaped, and bristly with short, rigid hairs on the upper surface. The small heads contain only white ray flowers and the involucral bracts are borne in a single row. White-flowered hawkweed grows commonly in dry, open forests, clearings and roadsides at low to middle elevations.